


Not A Day Goes By That I Don't Think Of You

by DirtyLilGreaseMonkey



Category: Emmerdale, robron
Genre: Background Character Death, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-02
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-05-11 05:39:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5615860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DirtyLilGreaseMonkey/pseuds/DirtyLilGreaseMonkey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On the anniversary of Roberts mums death, Aaron finally comes home from prison.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not A Day Goes By That I Don't Think Of You

**Author's Note:**

> So this is an expansion of the 16th Nov ep, yes the one where Aaron told Robert he hated him :'(
> 
> Just my thoughts on the bits we didnt see on screen, let me know what you think.

Today was going to be hard for Victoria, not only did she have to face one of her best friends who she wholeheartedly believed shot her brother only to be released without charge but it was also the anniversary of her mother’s death and she had to comprehend the fact that her brothers were still at war.

“I just thought we could spend the day together to remember mum, just me, you and Robert,” she’d said to Andy earlier that day knowing full well that as soon as she mentioned Roberts name Andy would make up some excuse. She didn’t understand why they couldn’t just put their differences aside for this one day, to pay respects to the women that raised them.

“I can't,” Andy stated just like Victoria knew he would.

“Andy whatever it is that you two have got going on can you not put it aside just for today please mum wouldn't want it to be like this.”

“Look I’ll come to the grave yard with you but I'm not doing anything with Robert,” Andy told her before walking out and she didn’t have the strength to argue with him.

She’d slumped back in the chair, great she was stuck in the middle as usual and now she had to tell Robert Andy didn’t want to see him, it was at times like this she missed her mum even more.

*

Victoria’s heart sank as she watched Chas and Adam greet Aaron. She plastered a smile on her face but couldn’t help feel guilty for not believing in her best friend. But she knew how hot headed Aaron could be and the fact that him and Robert had been so close and that fact that he had hidden the gun what else was she supposed to think, Robert was her brother after all. She hadn’t noticed Robert sat at the table before he came over to the bar, he was obviously there for Aarons arrival she just wished he’d man up and admit his feelings for him. However that wasn’t the pressing issue of the day as he turned to him after yet another attempt at stopping him and Adam bickering over Aaron.

“Listen Rob, Andy wasn't up for it but we can still have a drink if you want.”

“Yeah maybe later I've gotta be somewhere,” Robert mumbled, preoccupied by the fact Aaron had just text him.

> A: Meet Me Out Back

Victoria huffed as Robert walked away from her,

“May as well put me down for sausage roll duty after all,” before heading towards the kitchen, smiling sadly at Adam.

All she’d wanted was to spend the day with her brothers remembering their mum, was that too much to ask?

*

The butterflies started to build up in Roberts stomach as he made his way around the back of the pub. He was hoping Aaron wanted a reconciliation but he couldn’t have been more wrong.

They both walked up to the other, hands stuffed in pockets, Roberts eyes wandered over Aarons body making a mental note of how thin he looked since the last time he saw him.

“So here we both are me back in the land of the living and you back in the land of the free,” Robert started them off, all the while Aaron was smiling only it wasn’t a smile Robert was used to from Aaron, it didn’t light up his eyes in fact it was more of a sneer.

“Still all a big joke to you innit?”

“No!” Robert replied honestly a little hurt that Aaron thought that.

“I’m really glad I got you out,” but as soon as he said that Robert knew he’d put his foot in it by the way Aaron licked his lips.

“What are you talking about, I should never have been there in the first place I did nothing wrong.”

“Well ya here now isn’t that the main thing?” Robert said quietly clenching his fists in his pockets with the need to reach out and comfort Aaron the only thing stopping him was he knew the mood Aaron was clearly in he’d end up with yet another black eye.

Aaron let out a snort,

“So why am I getting the impression I should be grateful ere?”

Robert looked at him in shock, he didn’t expect thanks from Aaron he knew him better than that but he at least thought he’d get some sort of gratitude for getting him released.

“Would you rather I just left you in there?”

“What the hell are you playing at?”

Robert face fell at Aarons sudden anger.

“What took ya so long to tell the police it wasn’t me anyway?”

Aaron wasn’t mad really, he was more upset at the fact that Robert actually thought he could shoot him.

“I nearly died Aaron,” Robert reminded him.

And there it was, the truth and Aaron couldn’t look at the pain that crossed Roberts face not without wanting to touch him so he looked away biting his lip, hoping the pain would keep him grounded enough to tell Robert what he needed to hear.

“Excuse me if I’m not exactly firing on all cylinders.”

“Yeh or maybe ya were just trying to mess with my head again.”

“Show me that the great Robert Sugden’s still got all this power.”

“No I swear Aaron……why are you being like this?” Robert started, where was all this anger coming from? But even as he asked himself that he knew, he knew how badly he’d hurt Aaron in the past.

“Because I’ve been to hell and back because of you,” Aaron spat.

Roberts face fell again is that what he really thought?

Aaron turned to leave but decided to add insult to injury when he turned back and said

“I meant what I said at the court, I hate ya.”

Robert wanted to scream at him ‘I love ya’ he wanted to reach out and hold him until they both cried because he knew Aaron was just saying those words to hurt him but he hadn’t admitted he loved Aaron to himself yet, not since the affair had been outed so there was no way he was about to admit it to Aaron especially after what he’d us heard.

“And nothing you can do is ever gonna change that.”

Roberts eyes followed Aaron as he walked away. He stood shell shocked for a minute; sharing at the back door where Aaron had disappeared in to before he unclenched his fists and pushed his hands through his hair.

Hated him? Aaron hated him!

He left the confrontation feeling worse than ever, he never released how much he’d put Aaron through until he’d spelt it out for him. He needed a drink, preferably a stiff one but he couldn’t go back into the pub, not until he composed himself enough to be able to face Aaron again. He needed a plan to win Aaron back, but even as he thought that Aarons words replayed in his head.

_Nothing you can do is ever gonna change that_

But he had to try, maybe not today, as he should be thinking about his mum but someday soon he knew he had to win Aaron back.

*

Paddy burst through the pub door, ushering Rhona and Vanessa in front on him, all he wanted to do was check on his son.

“Right well it’s good to see ya,” Aaron said when Paddy had finished waddling on about some cat he’d had to see to that morning.

“Come here,” Paddy indicated.

They threw their arms around each other and just for a moment Aaron felt safe in his embrace.

“Promise me ya not gonna get into any more trouble I don’t think me nerves could stand it.”

“Trust me mate not planning on going back in there anytime soon,” Aaron assured him.

“It’s great to have you back Aaron,” Rhona shouted from the corner of the bar, somehow always left out when it came to Aaron.

They laughed and joked and drank, Adam joining them until he saw his wife moping around in her chefs uniform.

“Vic you alright?” he asked finishing off his pint.

“Yeah yeah it's great news about Aaron I'm just not really in the party mood.”

“Oh, alright why don't we sack it off and go and have a quiet tea somewhere do a little toast for your Mum?”

“Would you not rather stick around for Aaron?”

“Listen I can get hammered with him anytime I want now today is more about your Mum alright.”

She nodded appreciatively, her hand on his arm, she knew there was a reason shed agreed to marry him, she would always be there for her and this just proved it.

“I'll go and get changed,” she said and headed behind the bar.

Adam looked over at Aaron, now he just had to find a way to tell his best mate he was bailing on his release party.

Adam slid back up to party at the bar and laughed as paddy downed yet another shot before grabbing hold of Aarons arm to get his attention.

“Look mate, I know you just got out but I gotta bail, Vic really needs me today.”

Aaron looked at Adam, his so called best mate, disapprovingly. How could he bail when Aaron had only been back an hour?

Adam saw the flash of angry cross his face and knew he had to explain quickly before he set his temper off.

“It's just it's her Mums anniversary, ya know, so….” Adam shrugged hoping that was explanation enough.

Aarons face fell, not just for Victoria but for Robert too, oh no he thought, what have I done?

“Yeah mate, go,” Adam looked at Aaron as the regret crossed his face.

“I'm fine Adam, Vic needs ya today.”

“Thanks, I owe you one.” Adam said a huge grin spreading across his face as he clasped Aarons shoulder in goodbye.

Aaron nodded and took another sip of his pint even though the last thing he felt like doing now was getting drunk.

How did he not know what today was for Robert? Oh who was he kidding, he didn't know because Robert never talked to him, about anything, let alone something this personal. But Aaron had seen it hadn't he, right before he'd started talking he'd seen something like hope cross Roberts face, but as soon as he opened his mouth it was gone.

He shouldn't feel guilty, not after the things Robert had said and done to him but knowing what day it was and how hard it was to lose someone you loved he couldn't help it. He tried to push all those thoughts away as Paddy suggested more shots. Everything with paddy was easy, they laughed and joked and drank, allowing Aaron to forget about Robert for a while but it didn't last long as he walked into the pub not long after, the look of dejection clear on his face.

*

Robert had wandered aimlessly around the village since his encounter with Aaron. Today was supposed to be about his mum but both Andy and now Aaron had overshadowed that. He headed back to the single room he was now forced to occupy at his sisters and dug out the bottle of scotch he’d managed to save from his days at Home Farm. He didn’t even bother with a glass, just poured the amber liquid into his mouth savouring the burn as it slid down his throat. After a few more swigs he knew he would have to face the world eventually. He looked at himself in the mirror, he looked tired. He unscrewed the bottle from his painkillers, not that he needed them but he found that they took the edge off everything and he needed that numbness more than ever today. He popped two of the red and white capsules in his mouth followed by one last glug of scotch and swallowed. He watched his reflection as the calmness washed over him.

He knew he wasn't quite ready to see her yet, so decided to head to the pub, plus he knew Aaron would be there and no matter what Aaron said Robert knew how he felt about him.  
He walked into the he pub, hesitating slightly before his eyes automatically found Aarons. He headed straight for the bar and quietly asked,

“Pint please Chas,” his eyes flitting to Aarons again to make sure Aaron was alright with him being there.

“This is a private party, get out the pub,” Cain yelled out before Chas stopped him,

“Right that's enough Cain think I decide who drinks in me pub.”

She turned to Robert holding up a glass and asked,

“Pint was it?”

“Erm yes please,” Robert mumbled, not wanting to cause a scene.

Aaron tried to keep out of it, but his chest ached when Robert didn't hit back at Cain, where had his Robert gone, because the man in front of him now wasn’t the Robert he’d fallen in love with, not that he cared he told himself as he supped his pint.

As Robert took a seat, Chas warned Cain to be nice they needed Robert on side of Aaron was to stay out of prison.

“Oi fancy a shot, no pun intended,” Cain called over to Robert who had taken a seat at a table adjacent to the bar, one that allowed him to have a clear view of Aaron.

Robert gave Cain a sarcastic grin but it was quickly replaced with a frown as Aaron turned to look at him.

Aaron watched Robert, ready to step in and defend Cain but Robert just scoffed and sipped his pint.

Perhaps his words had finally sunk in or perhaps Getting shot had changed Robert, Aaron told himself once again that he didn't care but somehow he couldn't help be intrigued.

Robert drank his pint and shot so sarcastically offered by Cain, and not being able to stand being so close to Aaron anymore, not without talking to him and he could hardly do that with both Cain and Paddy stood next to him like his personal bodyguards, he got up and skulked out, his head down, going to the one place he'd tried to avoid. He thought he would be able to handle it, being in the pub but after the events of last week and his confrontation with Aaron this morning he really wasn’t in the right frame of mind to be drinking. His eyes burned with the need to release so of the pent up emotion he’d been feeling. Andy’s complete dismissal of him, his Mums abandonment, the fact that the life he’d worked so hard for was gone and he was left with nothing, not that he cared, all he wanted was Aaron and now even he hated him. There wasn’t a day when he finally regained consciousness that he didn’t think of Aaron and even now as he remembered Aarons words he couldn’t help the ache in his heart when he thought about him. He felt the tears begin to fall as he made his way to the graveyard.

*

Feeling the effects of the alcohol coursing through his system Aaron thought back to just a few nights ago when he was facing an infinite time behind bars. He started to think about Jackson again, something he's done a lot over the past few weeks more than he had in the past few months. He drained the last of his pint and giving his mum a faint smile he headed for the door. Chas called out for him but he didn’t hear her, or chose to ignore her, he only has one destination in mind. As he rounded the corner to the graveyard he wasn’t entirely surprised to see Robert stood in the distance. In fact subconsciously he hoped he’d run into Robert, if only to apologise for his earlier actions. He paused for a moment taking in the man he would have done anything for once upon a time but too much had happened now hadn't it? He'd made his opinion on the matter clear earlier when he asked him to meet him out the back of the pub but he hadn't taken the time to really look at Robert, just said what he wanted and left. But he'd noticed his behaviour in the pub later on and now as his eyes followed the outlines of his body he could tell something was different, that he was different, more hunched, less arrogant, maybe getting shot had done him good Aaron thought guiltily.

He took a deep breath and pushed through the hatred that had boiled up inside him when he’d been locked up. Robert needed a friend right now and unfortunately not many people were offering him that so it was up to Aaron to be there for the man he once loved and if he was honest, still loved.

He walked up to him and was about a metre away before Robert became aware of his presence but he didn’t turn around, instead he let Aaron take the place next to him before he said,

“You’re the last person I expected to see,” Robert stated, wiping the tears away with the back of his hand.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Aaron asked softly.

“Would it have made a difference?” Robert asked with a shrug, his eyes still focused on the headstone in front of them.

Aaron didn’t know how to answer, didn’t even know if Robert expected him to answer instead much to his brains objections he slid his hand into Roberts.

“Aaron,” Robert sighed, relishing the feel of Aarons hand in his and tightening his grip.

“I meant what I said earlier,” Aaron offered sadly.

“I know but…..”

Aaron laughed softly and rolled his eyes at him.

“Just take the comfort Robert, no questions okay?”

“Okay,” Robert said with a sad smile, feeling a little guilty he was getting so much pleasure for his touch at a time when he should be mourning the loss of his mother, he was just so grateful for Aarons hand in his even if it was only a mutual understanding for those they had lost, it was a start.

**Author's Note:**

> Always up for prompts, find me on tumblr - starkidsarah
> 
> Thanks for reading x


End file.
